Atheist at Ft. Meade Seeks `Lay Leader' Status

BALTIMORE (AP) -- An Army captain at Fort Meade, Md., says he'san atheist -- and he wants official recognition as a humanist layleader, on par with the Christian, Jewish and Muslim lay leaders who help military chaplains serve the troops.

Capt. Ryan Jean says he once was chewed out by his post chaplainin Kuwait for his lack of faith, an experience that helped persuade him to seek the official recognition.

The Baltimore Sun reports that Jean is one of as many as a dozenatheists throughout the U.S. military who are applying for lay leader status. They say it's important for nonbelievers to have the acceptance and support that they say Christians in uniform take forgranted.

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